Historically, multimedia game systems utilized two dimensional landscapes and iconic bit mapped action characters. Game players viewed this two dimensional world through a low resolution cathode ray tube (CRT) which typically comprised a home television set. Software content was limited by low resolution graphics, low processor speeds, and in some instances, monaural audio provided to the game players.
Recent innovations to both home cartridge-based game systems and game programs executed by personal computers (PCs) have changed many of the systems' characteristics. Today, richly-textured, three dimensional graphics supported by hardware chip sets supplement or replace older bit mapped two dimensional graphics. CD-ROM players have expanded storage capacity and the addition of modems for network game playing expands the number and geographical sphere of players. These recent innovations have effectively eliminated the traditional boundaries between games viewed on televisions and those viewed on personal computers.
However, although the sophistication of game programs and the displayed graphics have markedly improved from earlier generations of cartridge and PC-based systems, audio quality has generally lagged. More particularly, prior art monaural or dedicated game devices and personal computer systems typically provide a single monaural or stereo output to all of the players of the game simultaneously. Thus, each of the players of a multimedia game perceive the same audio experience. Although the audio may be stereophonic, it does not vary between the players.
As will be described, the present invention provides an enhanced audio experience for each of the players of a multimedia game heretofore unknown in the prior art. By providing separate and independent audio to each of the players of either a dedicated game machine or personal computer, the game experience is enhanced and tailored to the particular player. The present invention permits separate and independent audio to be perceived by each player, or groups of players, which may be a function of the game, of the players' language, the players' ability to handle more complex audio feedback, and/or the players' technical understanding.